Beaufort Street Media

What has been happening on Beaufort Street? Find out from some of these media articles –

Seeking the Good, Bad and the Ugly on Beaufort Street

THE Beaufort Street Network wants to hear “the good, the bad and the ugly” about the street so it can keep improving it.

Network chair Pam Herron says Beaufort Street has seen some big changes over the past few years, such as murals, new trees, public art, the colourful Beaufort Street sign and the quirky bathtub planters. Her group’s also set up the popular Beaufort Street art market and handles the yearly street festival.

Beaufort Street’s ‘Artful Bid to Slow Cars Down’

Coloured paint is the unusual new weapon used in Mt Lawley in the fight to get drivers to slow down.

Parts of Beaufort Street near the intersections of Grosvenor Road and St Albans Avenue have been covered in highly coloured stencilled shapes to tell motorists they are entering an area of high use by pedestrians.

City of Vincent mayor John Carey said the unusual move — in which the coloured shapes spread across the footpaths and connect one side of the street to the other — was one of several tactics used to protect the town centre and slow down cars.

Mary Street Piazza to be Permanent

Piazza Permanent

The Mary Street Piazza will be made permanent, with an overwhelming majority supporting the Beaufort Street public open space.

A massive 87 per cent of 300 submissions were in favour of the permanent piazza plan, which aims to provide a place to sit, eat, play music or even do maternity yoga on a street usually considered a retail “ribbon” with no “heart”. The project has had more feedback than either the bike plan or the massive town planning scheme changes.

Beaufort Street Art Market

“It’s nearly Father’s Day and sales of socks, aftershave and electronic gadgets are booming. Nothing wrong with that, but this year why not do something completely different?

The very first Beaufort Street Art Market is taking place on the morning of 7 September. Treat dad to a meal at one of the many cafes or restaurants then stroll to Barlee Street where the car park will be transformed into an outdoor gallery.”

Car Parking on Beaufort Street

“Mayor says way for car parking is up”

More parking may only create more traffic on Beaufort Street and detract from the look and feel of the place. We have to get smarter about car parking issues. The best way to support local businesses is to attract more pedestrians past their shop windows

Better Beaufort Action Plan

“Individual Contributions at the Heart of Progress”

The best thing that town centres can do is focus on their strengths, which is about creating real authentic experiences. The best way to help to the area and the local businesses is to have more people on the street. To outline the principles guiding the street’s progress and create a point of difference for Beaufort Street, the Network is releasing its first Better Beaufort Action Plan this month.

Promoting Street Entertainers

“City’s Busker Rules Relaxed”

Buskers will find it easier to ply their trade on some of Perth’s most popular restaurant and retail strips under City of Vincent plans to relax restrictions on street performers. If the plans are endorsed by the Vincent council tomorrow, sections of Leederville, Mt Hawthorn, North Perth and Beaufort Street in Highgate and Mt Lawley will become “street entertainer zones” where performers like local busker Reuben de Melo will not need a permit.

New Mary Street Piazza

“Get Out for a Piazza of the Action”

Entry into Mary Street from Beaufort Street will be blocked off and a small piazza created under plans by the City of Vincent to make the area the heart of the popular strip. Council last week agreed to trial a partial closing of Mary Street, allowing traffic to only exit onto Beaufort Street, with the extra space used to create a temporary piazza.

Promoting Al Fresco Areas

“Alfresco, Hold the Red Tape”

Alfresco red tape is being slashed in Vincent and—gasp!—buskers are being allowed to play without a permit. The council’s new “place managers” David Doy and Di Shaw are desperate to scale back the bureaucracy that holds back strips like Oxford, Angove and Beaufort Streets.

Town Centre Promotion

“City Focus on Town Centres”

There’s good evidence of the effect place managers have around Australia, from work done on the once-trouble haunted Northbridge piazza and cultural centre, to the international fame of Melbourne’s Brunswick Street.

High Building Rents

“Landlords Blamed for Beaufort Woes”

I think because of the success of the bars and cafes and restaurants and franchises that can afford to pay higher rents, landlords want as much as they can get – they (shops) are big investments. They want the market rent but if the market rent is too high for the independent retailers then we’re going to become a bar area and we don’t want that so we’re doing whatever we can to support retail.